New York Times: Philippines is the “most corrupt” country in Asia

According to a new survey, the New York Times considers the Philippines to be the most corrupt country in the Asian region.

The survey said that Singapore ranked the least corrupt of 13 Asian countries examing – the second least corrupt was Hong Kong and the third Japan.

The survey said: “The Philippines has the distinction of being perceived in the worst light this year. People are growing tired of the inaction and insincerity of leading officials when they promise to fight corruption.”

The survey was conducted over two months at the beginning of 2015, and questioned 1,476 expat executives in the 13 countries and territories.

The Philippines scored 9.40 out of 10 on corruption, giving it the number one spot.

In 2006, a similar survey named the most corrupt nation as Indonesia – in that year, the Philippines scored a 7.80. Indonesia was still high in corruption in 2015, with an overall score of 8.03.

However, while the survey put the Philippines in the number one spot, it pointed out that Thailand and Indonesia were just as bad.

“The Philippines has been getting the least amount of foreign direct investment, and the level of foreign capital flowing to its stock market is also less than in either Indonesia or Thailand,” the report noted.

To the question: “How effective is the judicial system at prosecuting and punishing individuals for corruption when abuses are uncovered?” the respondents gave the Philippines a score of 9.06, with 10 being “ineffective.”

Another question asked: “To what extent is corruption a deterrent to your willingness to invest and expand your business?” The Philippines scored 8.50, with 10 reflecting “a major deterrent.”

Local corruption monitors including the United Nations confirms that graft and bribery is common place throughout the country.

Corruption has penetrated every level of government – from police officers who pull you over for a small bribe, all the way to the very top.

It is estimated by the the United Nations Development Programme that nearly $2 billion dollars, or about 13% of the nation’s annual budget is lost to corruption each year.